MasterChef fans share their excitement for an ‘all Asian-Australian cook-off’

Masterchef Australia fans were thrilled to see an ‘all Asian-Australian cook-off’ on Back To Win. 

Contestants Reynold Poernomo, Jess Liemantara, Poh Ling Yeow, Khanh Ong and Brendan Pang – who all have Asian heritage – competed for immunity on Thursday night. 

‘Tonight’s #MasterChefAU is hugely significant for Asian-Australian representation. Yes, it matters,’ one fan wrote on Twitter. 

Another added: ‘Not gonna lie, I’ve been waiting for this kind of Asian-Australian visibility on a prime television channel (that’s not Border Security) for my whole life.’ 

‘This is my fairytale being an Asian kid,’ one Twitter user revealed.  

‘The Asian excellence on display tonight [is] staggering but wait for next week’s Microwaved Meals with Mayonnaise challenge… the mediocre caucasians will rise,’ a fourth joked.    

But some fans were surprised to see the contestants were cooking dishes based on European fairytales. 

‘Five amazing Asian-Australian cooks tonight have to cook dishes inspired by five white European fairy tales. There are so many great Asian fables to also use,’ one fan said.

Another asked: ‘Five Asian-Australian cooks doing German fairytales. Okay. Aren’t there some Asian fairytales?’ 

It comes after Melissa Leong has praised the cooking show for being diverse and inclusive.

The judge, 38, shared a photo of the contestants competing in the challenge to Instagram on Thursday, and celebrated the ‘multiculturalism’ represented on the program.

‘This image is ground breaking. ⁣⁣Not only did these tremendous humans create the five best dishes yesterday (we judge dishes, not people), but I could never conceive of witnessing a moment like this on prime time television in my lifetime,’ she wrote. 

‘Diversity and representation does not come at the detriment of others, it is to the inclusivity of us all,’ she continued.

Melissa went on to say that she is proud to be Australian and to be ‘part of a nation whose identity is indigenous and multicultural’.

‘To every person who never felt seen, this is for you, may it give you hope. To every person who is yet to feel seen, you are valued and your moment is on its way. We rise together,’ she said.